Obscurum Angelorum
by jasderoanddavid5012
Summary: Dark Angels. That's what Cain and Abel are. After Cain is framed for causing Armageddon, his only friend is his twin brother Abel. Too late, everyone finds out who's really to blame. Nine hundred years later, the Order of Rosenkreuz returns, as well as their master. Now the only ones who can stop them is Abel and Cain -who were thought to be dead- the Vatican, and the Empire.
1. Prologue: Fallen Angels

**Author's Note:**

Because I apparently can't write one story and finish it (though I will finish all of my stories) here's another Trinity Blood Fan Fiction. This one is based off of the question: "What if Cain wasn't evil"? So I took that question and this entire story line evolved itself out of that What if scenario. I hope you're ready, because we're about to turn Trinity Blood on it's head. XD

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Prologue: Fallen Angels

* * *

"_Come on Cain!" Abel cried. He was terrified, and there was a definite note of fear in his voice. He wanted to run, but he wouldn't abandon Cain, not like this._

"_Abel leave!" Cain cried. He was suddenly scared for his brother. He didn't think something like this would ever happen. "They'll only kill you too! I don't want you to die!"_

"_I'm coming with you!" Abel said. "I didn't abandon you when Tristan framed you for starting Armageddon. I didn't leave you when Seth and Lilith asked me to. I'm not leaving you now! Everyone may hate you, but I know you're not evil! Come on!" Abel turned then and ran on, making Cain jump up to follow him. _

"_Abel!" Cain called. "I'm glad you believed me, even when Tristan created all of that fake evidence against me and everyone else thought I was evil. I really am. But Tristan's trying to kill me now. I'm the only other Crusnik bonded up to 100% besides him. He doesn't want me to stop him! If you keep hanging around with me he'll kill you! I don't want you to die Abel!" he caught up with is twin and grabbed a hold of his arm, making him stop. "I don't want you to die. You're the only person I can't lose. You're only bonded up to 80%. If you die..."_

_Abel paused, looking at his brother. Cain buried his face into his shoulder. They were definitely twins. That much was plain for anyone to see. They were the same height, the same weight. Their eyes were the same blue color, deep and fathomless like the sea. Their hair too was the same length. It passed just below their chins. It was cut in the same way. Only Abel's hair was silver and shone like the moon, and Cain's was blonde and glistened like the sun. Abel was generally the more outgoing of the two. He was the most outspoken and he seemed to be more of a delinquent. Cain was quieter and never got in trouble. Not until now. But now Cain had found himself and his dear brother faced with impossible odds. Cain was trembling now against Abel's arm, clutching it as if it was his lifeline. He loved his brother dearly. Cain couldn't die, not even if all of the nanomachines in his blood were removed. He'd simply regenerate and get up again. But Abel was not so lucky. He wasn't that powerful. If Abel lost his nanomachines then he wouldn't survive. He would die. And that's what scared Cain so much. Abel watched Cain a moment, and his eyes softened. Gently he leaned his head against his brother's._

"_Cain, it's okay." Abel said quietly. "Don't worry. You and I both know what Natalia did for me. There's a chance now that I could be 100% Crusnik. I won't die. And I won't leave you. Okay? Don't make me go. I couldn't stand that. I'm here for you."_

"_Natalia said that the other Crusnik had found out that Tristan had been lying." Cain whispered. "She said that they were all looking for us. That they were trying to find us. She did it because she was scared you would die, and because she felt bad that she had betrayed us. But we're on Earth now. We've had to run for our lives everyday because of Armageddon. Everyone's scared of us. Now Tristan and his Order of Rosenkreuz rule the world. We're hunted Abel. Before long, we're going to die. No one believes that we're innocent. And they're probably never know the truth. Everyone will die thinking we're evil. And you're okay with that?"_

"_Of course I am." Abel replied. "We're twins. I couldn't leave you if I tried. I won't leave you, because I know that you aren't evil."_

"_But our families...both of them..." Cain said._

"_Seth and Lilith will learn one day, and they'll forgive us." Abel promised. "And our real family...well, our Mother and Father will understand one day. And you know that our brothers and sister are Crusnik too. We were all changed. They'll learn about it one day. Don't worry about it. What will happen will happen. Now let's go."_

_Abel took Cain's hand and dragged him away after him, urging him to run on. He coaxed Cain gently behind him. They had entered into a town now. It was broken and falling apart, and their going became rough as they continued onward. There was debris in their way and it was hard to slip past this. They could feel the eyes of the people on them. Most were accusing and angry, but some were not. They belonged to those people who looked out and saw the fear and hopelessness in the eyes of these children. They could see that they were despairing. Neither of them expected to live through the day. If they did, it would be a miracle. These people could see that they were leaving them alone. They shied away from people. It was no wonder. They had been burned by people before, and now they couldn't stand that they hated them. They all thought they were evil. They all thought that they had caused the entire world to fall into ruin. They thought that they were the reason that nothing made sense anymore. But they weren't._

_Abel paused a moment, looking over the worn streets. They would have to go on farther. They couldn't stay here long. But this town was huge. Still, there was nothing for it. He tugged Cain back to follow him and began to move again. Sooner or later they would come across the edge of town. Abel kept Cain moving, even though they were both worn out and didn't feel like they could walk much father. They knew that had to keep going. Nearly two hours passed, but on foot, they had finally reached the edge of the town. The passed the sign without even looking at it. It only had the name of the city on it, and they knew what that was. They had just passed through Rome._

_Abel paused a moment. He looked around at all of the ruble and ruin around them. How could these people believe that these two children and caused all of this? They were powerful Crusnik, but no where near that powerful. He saw a small family, watching them fearfully from behind the walls of what used to be a house. He watched them sadly for a moment, then grabbed Cain's hand and pulled him away. He couldn't understand how people could continuously be so cruel. He hated to be feared. But he hated even more that it was Humans that had turned him into what he was. He was over one hundred years old now, but he still looked like a thirteen year old child. Cain looked up at Abel, sadly watching his face. But then he saw something else. It was some sort of movement. He reacted instantly. He grabbed Abel and pulled him closer to his side, which surprised the young boy. He stiffened slightly but didn't try and pull away, even though it hurt that Cain was pressing him tightly against him. Cain then snarled at the intruder, sounding very much like a beast of some kind. _

_Abel winced a little as he felt Cain's hands tighten on his arms, but then he looked up and saw what had made Cain suddenly so nervous. It was Tristan. He shuddered a little nervously and watched the older Crusnik carefully. Tristan was tall. He had black hair that hung down well past his shoulder blades. His eyes in his human form resembled a dark gray color, the color of storm clouds. There was a twisted amusement in his eyes, seeing the two boys in front of him. They were both trembling slightly, but Cain snarled as Tristan stepped closer and pushed Abel farther behind him. Abel didn't try and fight his brother. Not when he was so worked up. Tristan smiled at the two of them and held out his arms as if to embrace something._

"_Ah there you are Abel." Tristan said. "Come here. It must have been tough for you, having Cain take you away from everything you loved. Did he hurt you? I understand. You're scared. You don't have to be anymore. I'm here for you. Come here boy. I'll take you back, and you'll never have to worry about your evil brother again."_

"_You're the only evil one!" Abel cried. Tristan paused a moment, then sighed._

"_I see." Tristan said. "You do love your brother then. I shouldn't be surprised. You're twins. I really liked you Abel. You were so bright. You were wasted with that dull 'family' of yours. I thought I could take you and remake you. I could give you everything. You could have ruled the world with me."_

_By now a small group of Humans had gathered. They had been concerned with the two boys, and now they were deeply confused. They murmured to one another quietly. This Crusnik was the good one. He was the one that had told them about Cain and what he had done. He was the one that had instructed them how to fight the evil Crusnik. He was the one that had helped them. It was because of him that the world had remained alive long enough to see this day. What did he mean "rule the world with him"? The older Crusnik heard the people's reactions and smiled a little. It was a cruel smile, one that was much different than the one they had seen on his face before._

"_Yes." Tristan said. "You heard me right. I am the Leader of Rosenkreuz. I am the Contra Mundi, the Enemy of the World. I did everything that I had framed this boy for. And you all just followed me blindly, like fools. You murdered those I wanted out of my way, and you helped me to take over the world. Now, I've come to finish what I started."_

"_By killing us?" Cain asked. _

"_No, that would be too kind." Tristan replied. "No Cain. I know I can't kill you. You're too powerful. However, I can break you. I'm going to make sure that you never do anything to stop me, even after you regenerate. I'm going to completely destroy you in the only way I can."_

_He didn't have to say how. Cain immediately understood. His hand tightened on Abel's arm again, and he snarled at Tristan. He had to protect Abel. He was the only person in this world who truly understood him. He couldn't lose him. Abel too gasped as he realized what Tristan was saying at the same moment as Cain. He began to tremble again. He couldn't help it. There was no way he could fight Tristan. But he wasn't scared for himself. What if Cain got hurt trying to protect him? What if he did die and Natalia's sacrifice hadn't worked? He didn't want to think of Cain alone. The people too began to murmur again. Nothing seemed to make any sense anymore. Horror was sweeping through them as they realized that they had been murdering innocent people, innocent Crusnik who never once fought back against them. Tristan smiled at the two twins gently._

"_Nanomachine Crusnik 05 power output 100% activate." Tristan said._

_There was a scream from within the knot of humans. Abel winced a little, but he couldn't hear anything in that confusion. He saw Cain's lips move very quickly. Tristan was suddenly a tall and very powerful Crusnik. His skin was white and his eyes glowed blood red. His hair stood straight up, impressive since his hair was so long. He had long black claws and dark purple lips. On his back were four enormous crimson wings. Cain had changed into his Crusnik form too. Now his lips were red, matching his eyes. He had six white wings on his back, and his hair floated off of his head. His eyes too glowed blood red. Both pulled out weapons. Tristan had a dark black sword, and Cain had a dark black lance. The two of them snarled and Cain launched forward to fight Tristan. They took to the air. Abel paused. The people were in utter confusion. It was chaos. But if this battle kept up, then they would die. Before Abel even knew why, he found himself transforming into his Crusnik form. He had to protect them._

"_Nanomachine Crusnik 02 power output 80% activate." Abel said._

_He wasn't really sure what he wanted to do. He only knew that he had to do something. His lips looked black, and fangs protruded from his lips, like all Crusnik. He had two large black wings on his back, and his claws were long. He summoned his weapon. It was a large blood red scythe. He leaped forward, stopping an attack that had gone astray with his scythe which floated between his fingers even though he wasn't really holding it. The people he had just protected from the battle suddenly paused. He snarled, then began to speak. His voice sounded with both his own and another voice that came from the throat of a demon._

"_Go!" he cried. "Don't stay here or you'll die!"_

_They heeded him, and turned and ran away as quickly as they could. Abel watched the battle above him nervously, lightning crackling gently between his wings as he watched. He wanted to help Cain, but he couldn't. He wasn't powerful enough. And that hurt him to think about. He didn't want Cain to get hurt, but he knew he could do nothing. The two Crusnik circled high above his head, watching each other closely._

_Tristan spotted Abel beneath him. He knew that now was his chance. Suddenly he dove quickly towards the ground. Cain saw what he was doing, and he felt his heart hammer in fear. He dove after him. But he was too late. Abel gasped as Tristan buried his sword into Abel's chest, right over his heart. He twisted it cruelly, making Abel gasp yet again. Then Tristan ripped the blade out of the boy's chest. Abel's Crusnik form disappeared suddenly. Tristan looked up at Cain who had frozen in horror, then smiled and turned back to Abel. There was only one way to remove the nanomachines out of the blood of a Crusnik. He leaned over and grabbed the boy, then sank his fangs into his neck, draining him._

_Cain felt disgusted, horrified and angry all at the same time. He gave out a cry of rage and dove at Tristan. But the older Crusnik had finished. He dodged the attack and watched the boy closely. Cain turned to look at his brother. He felt numb suddenly. Abel was dead. He was deathly pale now, and his eyes were closed. No blood poured out of the open wound in his chest. There was no blood left. Cain felt a stab of pain run through his chest. He couldn't do anything. He couldn't even protect his brother. He fell to his knees beside him, not touching him, not moving at all. He heard Tristan approach him, but he didn't care. Why should he? He didn't care if he died. Abel was his whole world. Abel had been there for him when they were becoming Crusnik. Abel had always been there for him. Now he was gone. The word just didn't seem to make any sense to him._

_Tristan paused, looking at Cain. No tears ran down his face. His pain was far too deep to be expressed that way. He watched him. The boy didn't move. He didn't even seem to have the strength left to lift his lance. He just kept staring at Abel's face, hoping that this hadn't happened. But it had. Tristan raised his blade again and thrust it through Cain's chest. The boy didn't move. He didn't cry out. Tristan leaned in close and whispered into the boy's ear._

"_Now I have broken you Cain." he said. "You are nothing without your brother. You never were. Those foolish Crusnik that followed me found out the truth. They were trying to stop me from killing the two of you, but they're too late. Abel is gone. He'll never return. You will, but you won't attack me. I know you won't. You'll be broken. You'll always remember this moment. The moment when you were too weak to stop me. The moment you let your brother die. Still, just so you won't bother me for a while, I must steal your nanomachines. They'll regenerate themselves in your body, and then you, but you won't bother me for a long time. Good night Cain."_

_Cain felt his fangs sink into his shoulder, but he didn't pull away. He still sat there silently. Natalia had given Abel a chance. She had tried to turn him into a full Crusnik. 100%. But did she make it work? Would he really be dead? It hardly mattered to Cain right now. He couldn't get the image of Abel dead out of his head. He knew he never would, regardless of what happened. Tristan released him and removed his blade. Cain fell down on his stomach next to Abel. He was dying. He could feel it. Was this how Abel had felt? Tristan turned and left. He laid there. He didn't even try to move. Why should he? Abel was gone. Now a single tear rolled down his cheek._

_He laid there for a long time. He didn't know how long. He hardly cared. He only knew that he wasn't dying as fast as Abel had because he was stronger. He closed his eyes. Anything to get that image of Abel's gentle face out of his mind. But it was now burned there. He couldn't escape it. He heard someone running, shouting. Then suddenly, silence._

"_Oh my God..." he heard Lilith gasp. She sounded close to tears._

_Lilith. She was a beautiful woman. He knew that without even looking at her. Abel had always loved her. She was like a mother to both of them. The last time they had seen each other she had believed he was evil and yelled at him. But now she knew differently and she would be sad and in pain. They hadn't parted well at all, but he didn't have the strength without Abel to try and fix that now. He didn't stir. He heard her approach slowly, and behind her came tiny little footfalls. It was Seth. She had yet to speak. She wasn't walking normally, as if she wanted to run towards them and at the same time ignore what she had just seen and pretend like this had never happened. They had parted horribly too. Lilith paused by his side, then carefully scooped the two young Crusnik up into her arms. She held them tightly, as if afraid to let go. He felt her tears sliding down onto his face. Still, he didn't respond._

"_I was too late..." she said. "I'm sorry Cain, Abel. I should have known that you would never do anything like that. I should have realized that Tristan was the evil one. I knew you both better than that. I knew him so little. I should have trusted you two, instead of the lies he made up. And here's my thanks. I'm sorry that I didn't make it in time. I'm sorry that I stole your dear brother from you Cain."_

"_Wake up..." Seth said. She was a tiny little Crusnik. She looked no older than five. Cain felt her touch his face. Suddenly, she sounded like a child again. "Wake up..." she cried. Suddenly she burst into tears and laid her head on his chest. He felt even his broken heart give a small pang to hear the child's heart broken screams._

"_Hush Seth." Lilith told her kindly. "It's okay. We'll see Cain again one day. And that means we'll also see Abel, even if he's not here. We'll see him through Cain. Don't cry darling, it'll be okay..." but she had started to cry too. "Look, we'll put them together okay? Side by side. Then, they won't be apart. They loved to be together. You know that." she looked at Cain. He was still breathing, but barely. "Did you hear that Cain? You don't ever have to leave Abel if you don't want to. You can be together forever. Tristan couldn't kill you now, but he could later on. He weakened you by stealing your nanomachines. You couldn't survive a wound like this twice. But you could seek revenge if you wanted to. Now you'll be with Abel. I'm just sorry that I wasn't fast enough to save him...I know you loved him. Will you ever be the same without him?"_

_Thunder rumbled in the sky overhead, threatening rain. But neither of the two female Crusnik cared. The could only keep sobbing, heart broken, over the bodies of the two boys. They were broken, very broken. Their hearts felt dead. But they both felt rage too. They wouldn't forgive Tristan for this. Because by losing Abel, they lost Cain too. Cain would be broken. He would never be the same. By killing one, Tristan had succeeded in killing both. But the worst of their pain, was knowing that the only reason this had happened was because they had been too thick headed to listen to Abel when he had defended Cain. They should have known better. They knew Cain. _

_Cain couldn't stand to hear their tears. He couldn't stand to think that they were just as hurt as he was at losing Abel, and losing him. He was nothing without Abel. At last he gratefully slipped into oblivion. It was as easy and gentle as falling asleep, even with his wounds burning with pain._

* * *

Cain opened his eyes. Those were the last memories he had before he had died. He was back now. He silently looked around. He was in the spaceship, the one that Lilith and Seth had brought down to Earth when Armageddon began. It was dusty in here. It hadn't been touched in a long time. Seth and Lilith had stopped coming here. They couldn't stand to look at the two boys any longer, silent and peaceful as if they were asleep. Would Cain remain that way once he woke to find that Abel was gone? They couldn't stand the thought, so they left them alone. There was no telling how long had passed. There was no telling how much everything had changed. There was no telling if Tristan was still at large. He turned his head and looked beside him. Abel's head was on his shoulder. His face looked peaceful. Their hands were intertwined between them.

Cain looked up through the glass. The machine whirred gently. This was one of the sleep chambers. In here, people could sleep for years and never die. It was made to sustain life. They were both in this one, and it was continuously monitoring them. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling numb again. What had happened in the world? Did he really care?

He felt Abel's fingers tighten on his and he froze. His eyes flew open and he looked at his twin brother. Abel stirred and opened his eyes. He seemed confused at first as he looked around. But then he met Cain's surprised eyes.

"Cain?" he asked. "What happened?"

Cain could only turn and pull his brother into a hug. He began to sob into his shoulder. Abel froze a moment, then gently hugged him back. His eyes softened as he remembered. He had died. He knew he had. Cain was just suddenly glad that his brother was okay. Neither of them had seemed to have aged, no matter how long they had slept here. He wondered what had happened. No doubt Lilith and Seth missed them both greatly. They thought him dead and Cain no better than a living corpse. He wondered what had happened in the world. But now he was focused on Cain.

"It's okay Cain." Abel said. "I'm here. Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere any time soon."

"Natalia's sacrifice worked..." Cain managed. "She turned you into a full Crusnik."

"Yes." Abel said. "I hope she's okay. We don't know what happened. Should we go find out? We're younger now than we should be too..."

"I'll never forgive Tristan!" Cain growled. "I'm going to stop him if it's the last thing I do! Him and the Order of Rosenkreuz!"

"I know." Abel said. "I want to stop them too, if they're still around. But I want to help people too. I want to make sure that no one's hurt like you or Lilith or Seth were again because of the Order of Rosenkreuz..."

Cain paused, looking up at his brother. He seemed different than he had been before. He was more mature, more kind. He wasn't sure when that had happened, but he knew suddenly that he would never leave his brother's side. It hurt too much to be separated. Even if Abel was 100% Crusnik now, he would not leave him. He loved him too much.

"Okay. We will." Cain promised. "I'll do anything you want me to. Just promise you'll never leave me."

"I won't." Abel said gently to Cain.

Cain simply buried his head into his brother's chest, as if suddenly afraid he would disappear again. Abel didn't try and pull away. He know his brother was hurt by what Tristan had done and glad that he was alive. He wouldn't leave him alone because he was very fond of him. Abel realized that Cain was going to be very protective of him, no matter how old or how powerful he was.

"It's a new age Cain." Abel said. "A new chance at life. A new chance to make a difference. People say we're Angels. We fell for a while, but now we're rising again from the ashes. It's time we go out there and pull our weight. Together. We'll always be together."

"I'm glad then that I'm with you." Cain replied gently.

* * *

**Here's the end.**

So what did you think? This is just to give a little bit of back ground story. The real story starts in my next post. Now we'll start to see how the story progresses. I know this was kind of a random start, but I needed to give Cain some reason for not being evil.

There's about to be a massive time skip to where the story starts. It starts at roughly the same time as the original story line of Trinty Blood. I wonder why? XD

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Next post we'll see Cain and Abel older and finally in action again.

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter One: Twin Monsters

**Author's Note:**

I don't know about you guys, but I love this story so far. I might be the only one who knows what's really going on right now, but who cares? XD

Anyway, in this chapter we'll learn more about everything that's going on. We'll also get to see Cain and Abel in action together for the first time! The sheer potential for this story give me goose bumps! Let's see what happens.

**Enjoy!**

Chapter One: Twin Monsters

Abel sighed a moment. Seven hundred years was a strangely long wait. He and Cain had disappeared as much as they were able to into the back ground. Somehow, Seth and Lilith had managed to stall Tristan's Global take over. The world was picking up the pieces and beginning to recreate the world as it had been very slowly. Very slowly. They didn't know if there were any other Crusnik alive at all, or where they could be. Now the Order of Rosenkreuz was beginning to show it's head once again, and things were coming to a boil. The Vampires that had once only inhabited Planets in other parts of the Galaxy lived here. They lived in the New Human Empire. The other world super power belonged to Humans, and it was the Vatican and the holy church of God. It was a good thing that he and Cain both believed in God then. Because that's where they had somehow ended up. They were working with the AX unit that specialized in foreign affairs. Abel and Cain had both become very patient Crusnik. They had to be to keep working with Humans.

Both Crusnik were sitting in chairs across from Caterina, the leader of their unit. She was a young woman of about twenty or so. Her hair was long and blonde and hung well down her back. It was curled in delicate ringlets at the ends. Her eyes were a piercing blue color, and she wore the red color of Cardinals of her church. A single monocle sat on her right eye. Cain and Abel both looked to be around twenty years old too. Cain's hair was shorter than Abel's. It only brushed his shoulders. However, Abel's hair was long enough to fall all the way down his back. That's why he wore it in a pony tail, tied with a black ribbon. He now wore glasses. They were both in the black and white uniforms that Fathers of the church wore. They also wore a Rosario on their chests. The three of them were silent for a moment, looking at each other. She knew what they were. She'd seen both of their Crusnik forms before. The two of them had saved her life ten years ago, and that's what had inspired Caterina to form the AX unit full of people with special powers. They were founding members, and they never went anywhere unless they were together. Thus their code name was "Twin Crusnik". Few had ever seen their Crusnik forms. They were silent for a moment, thinking of their pasts, and how they had come to this point.

"Are you alright Abel?" Caterina asked. "You seem distracted."

"I'm fine." Abel replied with a kind smile. "I am a little distracted but it's nothing to worry about. Continue if you would Caterina."

"Very well." Caterina said. "As you know, it's been nine hundred years since the Order of Rosenkreuz was formed, now they're returning, and I think you have a shrewd guess as to why. You two are the only people who can defeat them. But since we don't even know where they are, that will have to wait. For now, we'll have to gather what knowledge we can about them. I need you two to do something else. You both know of the city of Istanbul?"

"Yes." Cain replied. "It's a buffer zone between the world of Vampires and Humans. The Marque of Hungary is there, Gyula correct?"

"Correct." Caterina said. "He's a Vampire. Usually I wouldn't interfere, but the Star of Sorrow is beginning to move. Perhaps Gyula wants to use it against us. We have to go check it out. But that area is extremely dangerous. Abel, I need you to infiltrate the church there and find out what's going on. Cain, you and Father Tres Iquis will infiltrate Gyula's army. The three of you will find out what's going on there and report back to me. Keep in mind that you'll be undercover. Being such, no one but you two, I and Tres knows where you're going. Keep it that way. Try not to get too involved, but if something's going on I want you to put a stop to it."

"You're sending Gunslinger too?" Abel asked. "Isn't that just a little-"

"Overboard?" Cain finished. "Two Crusnik and a-"

"Killing Doll?" Abel asked.

"Yes I understand that I'm sending in a lot of fire power." She sighed. She was used to the way the twins talked now. "But there's a reason. There may be a member of the Order of Rosenkreuz there. We're not sure. The reports are incomplete. And you two are more than aware of the level expected of any member of that Order."

"We are." Cain sighed. "I just hoped that the Order would remain inactive for a little bit longer."

"If they're back, then so is Tristan." Abel said.

"Yes I heard both the legends and your story." Caterina replied softly. "The world still thinks of the two of you as heroes, Martyrs if you will. I know it's dangerous for you. If he finds out about the two of you, then there will be trouble. But he'll find out sooner or later, and I wonder how long that will be. Besides, the only way for you to gather the help of the other Crusnik is to go out there and find them. Who knows. Perhaps you'll run into one. We need all the help we can get."

"I understand." the twins sighed simultaneously.

"I know." Caterina said, smiling a little. "Just be careful. I'm very fond of the two of you. No one but me and people I trust knows who and what the two of you are. They think your name is 'Nightlord' and not 'Nightroad'. Not even his Holiness the Pope knows. Sooner or later though, they'll have to find out. I hope you'll be ready for that when that time comes."

"I don't know if we'll ever be ready." Abel sighed.

"But what happens will happen." Cain said, catching Abel's eye. Abel gave him a small smile in return.

"Right then." Caterina said. "Go and complete your mission. Father Tres is waiting for you outside. I wish you luck. May God watch over your travels."

The two Crusnik stood. They walked side by side from the room, falling in step with each other without ever meaning to. As soon as the door closed behind them, they were confronted by a man. He was shorter than either of them, but still tall. He had short, messy brown hair and deep brooding brown eyes. No emotion flickered across his face. He was dressed in the same way they were, and there were two guns at his hips.

"Father Tres." Cain said. "Caterina told you about our mission?"

"Positive." the android replied. "955 seconds ago I was briefed on the mission. Our orders must be carried out efficiently."

"Just make sure that Cain stays where he's supposed to." Abel said with a smile.

"Positive." Tres replied. "There will not be time to deviate from the plan."

"Good then let's go." the twins said together.

"Positive." came the programed response.

Tres turned and walked away before either of them had moved at all. Cain paused a moment, letting his gaze meet Abel's. It had been seven hundred years since they had found themselves alive in that sleeping chamber. Seven hundred years where everyone had thought they were dead and mourned them. They wondered if anyone would recognize them. They weren't those mischievous little twins anymore. Now they were much more kind and gentle. They loved the people of the world, from Humans to Vampires. They simply loved people now and would do anything they could to help them. They weren't alone because they had each other, and that was a lot. They loved each other. They were meant to be together always. Such was the nature of twins. They missed them all, but they knew that they had changed a lot. They wanted suddenly, more than they had in the last seven hundred years to find Seth or Lilith, or Natlia or anyone. Just to know that they weren't alone.

"Abel..." Cain said. "What will we do if we do come across another Crusnik?"

"I don't know." Abel replied quietly. "They may not even recognize us...I guess we'll find out when we come to that."

"You're right." Cain sighed. "Let's just concentrate on the mission for now."

Abel gave Cain a gentle smile, and then turned and followed Tres silently. Cain returned the smile even though Abel wasn't looking and followed too. Abel still had a way to make everything right, even when things looked bleak. That's what he loved about his twin. He would always love Abel, and that's why he was so protective of him. He knew that this mission would separate them, but it was better this way. Abel was better at acting like a priest than he was anyway. He would do better at this. And this way, if Gyula wanted to have him killed he could protect his brother, even if he had to shoot him himself. It wasn't a pleasant thought, but he knew that at least this way he could not have to worry about him getting too hurt. He and Abel seemed to be able to think the same thing at the same time, so this could work out fine. And the android would help. He knew that well. Tres was reliable.

* * *

Abel sighed. He had arrived by a different train in Istanbul than Tres and Cain. They were after all supposed to not know each other. He had arrived two days after they had been "reassigned" and "stationed" here. They had fake papers and high stations in the military. Abel just hoped that this Gyula didn't notice the similarities between him and Cain before they were ready for it. Perhaps he wouldn't even notice that they were twins before it was too late. Now he knew he had to find the nun that was supposed to show him to where the church was. That was where his "new job" was after all. He knew that Tres and Cain would be wearing military uniforms now, but he was still in his priest uniform.

There was hardly anyone here, and they all gave him strange looks as they passed. He didn't have to walk outside to see that these people didn't like strangers. He still walked on though. He had little choice. He had to go and do his job. If he didn't there was no telling what would happen. He paused a moment, looking around. That was when he noticed her. It was a nun, and a very pretty one. She wore blue and white, and her hair was red and her bangs were longer than the back of her hair. She had large and pretty blue eyes. As soon as she saw him looking, she paused a moment, then hurried over.

"Father Nightlord?" she asked.

"Yes that's me." Abel replied with a smile. "I'm Father Abel Nightlord. Are you the Nun from Saint Methias?"

"Yes. I'm Sister Esther Blanchett." She replied. "I'm supposed show you there. Follow me please."

"Yes of course. After you Sister Esther." Abel replied with a smile.

She nodded, paused, and then took his bag from him. Then she turned and walked away. She was around 16, and not very tall right now. But she had a brisk pace that even Abel had a little trouble keeping up with. As they walked, Abel noticed the frown on her face. They passed a group of soldiers on the street, and she stiffened a little. When they were far enough away, she slowed enough so that Abel fell in step beside her.

"Father." She said. "How do you feel about Vampires?"

"Vampires?" Abel asked as if perplexed. "I suppose they're here to stay aren't they? I don't get myself involved in things that are bigger than I am."

"Good." she said, seeming relieved suddenly. "Maybe Gyula will leave you alone then."

"The Marque of Hungary?" Abel asked.

"Yes." Esther said. "He's the Vampire that runs Istanbul. He's a vicious murder. He killed your predecessor in cold blood."

"Bishop Laura." Abel said quietly.

"Yes her." Esther said, her gaze falling suddenly.

"She was like a mother to you, wasn't she?" Abel asked. Esther looked up suddenly.

"How did you know?"

"There was someone like that for me too, only a long long time ago." Abel said. "We parted terribly, and I haven't seen her since. She's still alive somewhere, I think. But how can I hope to find her in this big world? She thinks I'm dead."

"Someone tried to kill you?" Esther asked. "Didn't you want revenge?"

"I did. For a while." Abel said. "And so did my brother. But, after I had taken only part of my revenge, then I found that I didn't want to continue it. It left me feeling empty. What was I supposed to do after I finished it? Would I just stop? Besides, nothing could have ever been achieved if I had continued to take lives. I would have only regretted it worse."

"What made you change?" Esther asked, her eyes now watching his face carefully. He looked at her and smiled.

"A girl who was only slightly younger than you." he replied. "It was strange. She said things to me that made sense and that I should have known all along. Her parents had just been murdered by Vampires, if anyone had any right to hate and want revenge, it was her. But she didn't. I saved her life that day, and she saved my soul at the same time. I decided then that I was going to follow her, no matter where she led me. Because she had once again made me see the light. Now, I walk in the light." then his face grew serious again. "But I can tell Esther, that you still walk in the shadows. What will you do?"

"That woman was everything to me!" she cried. "The whole world! And now that she's gone, I don't know what to do! What am I supposed to do Father?" she turned to him, desperation in her eyes. She started to cry a little. "What should I do? I can't stand the fact that she's gone."

"Will killing someone to get your revenge help you feel better?" Abel asked. "Yes, at the time. But you would hate yourself later once you looked back on your life. And now for the question that really matters. Would the person you're avenging want to see you become a murderer just to destroy their murderer? I don't think Bishop Laura would have wanted that. If you really were like a child to her, then she wants the best for her child. And this isn't it. I promise, nothing good comes out of revenge."

Esther looked up at Abel, her face screwed up like a child's was right before they began to cry. She was confused and conflicted. But he seemed like a very gentle and believable person. She wanted to trust him. He seemed kind and full of knowledge. _Just like Bishop Laura._ She paused. The thought had risen, unbidden into her mind. And yet she knew it was true. She trusted him. Because he reminded her of the mother she had lost. In a way, she was the father she never had. Suddenly, she turned and began walking away again. Abel followed silently.

"There it is." Esther said. "Saint Methias." Abel looked up at it. It was ancient and beautiful, like the buildings he remembered from before Armageddon. He wondered if it was that old. He smiled suddenly.

"It's beautiful." he said. "A magnificent building. I can tell why you love it so."

"Yes." Esther said quietly, giving him a small smile. "I agree. Let's go in then, shall we?"

Esther seemed suddenly a little happier and went inside quickly. Abel couldn't help but smile a little as he followed her inside. She seemed strangely at home here. It reminded Abel a little of himself too. She was a strange girl, but then again, so was everyone. Inside, the church was just as grand. It was strangely empty and sad, but at the same time, it held a lot a cheer. The stained glass window at the front of the church immediately caught his eye. He wondered why it was at first, until he paused to take a closer look at it. He paused a moment, surprised. It depicted two boys no older than thirteen. One had silver hair, the other had golden hair. They were obviously twins. Their arms were crossed across their chests, and their eyes were closed. Esther saw him looking.

"Yes." She said. "That stained glass window depicts the two Crusnik that died after Armageddon. The two that were blamed for causing all of this strife. The founders of this church saw them die, and they dedicated this window to them. It's so sad. I wonder, if they'd have lived, would they have hated everyone?"

"I don't think so." Abel said before he could stop himself. "No I don't think they hated anyone. They might have been confused and hurt, but they never hated. I think they understood why it was that people acted the way they did. Perhaps they realized that they would have acted the same way. They might have hated people at one point. But I think that, if given enough time, they would come to realize that hate was never the answer. Why should they hate anyone? What good would that do?" he paused a moment, aware that Esther was watching him closely now. "But that's just what I think. Who knows? That's what would have happened with me in their shoes anyway."

"It's strange..." Esther said. "You talk like you've lived a long time, but you look hardly any older than me. Where did you grow to be so wise? And why do I feel like I can tell you anything? When I look into your eyes, I see so much. And a while ago I could have sworn that I heard..."

"Heard what?" Abel asked.

"The sorrowful creaking..." Esther said. "Of old black wings..."

"Really?" Abel asked calmly. "How odd. I wonder why that is?"

"I know. It sounds strange doesn't it?" Esther laughed. "But we'll be staying in here. Come on Father. I'll show you to your room."

* * *

Cain paused a moment, glancing at Tres. The android seemed nervous, which was difficult considering the android wasn't originally programmed with emotions. He had developed them over the years, and Abel and he had seen the change in the robot gradually. The emotion now managed to flicker over his face for a few moments. Then he returned his face to it's impassive state. Tres was one of the "Killing Dolls". They were created at the same time as the Crusnik originally. There job had been to keep the Crusnik from causing destruction. But they began to develop emotions and were swayed to join Tristan. They had the power to kill Crusink. Tres however, was the last Killing Doll ever made. He didn't join up with Tristan, because he was inputted with a new code: one that made him want to protect Crusnik. After his creator had discovered his and Abel's innocence, he created this Doll to protect them. After two hundred years and they had reawakened into the world, he found them. They had feared him at first. They only knew Killing Dolls who had killed their kind.

But Tres was different. That much could be told immediately. He was surprised to see Abel. He knew that Cain could return, and he had been looking for him. But now he had two young Crusnik on his hands. After that, wherever they went, he went. He protected them as he had been programmed. And he began to develop emotions. He was generally a kind android. And if Abel or Cain ever gave him an order, he followed it to the dot. The two twins suspected that the android had become fond of them. He guarded them jealousy, and he was nervous whenever they went onto missions without him. However, he followed Caterina's orders and never failed. Now Cain suspected he was nervous about Abel. Tres was the only person that he would ever be comfortable taking his eyes off of Abel around.

Tres stood stock still, like a trained soldier. Gyula was passing down the lines of all of his soldiers, inspecting them. Cain too stood tall and stared straight ahead, not moving. Gyula had trusted him and Tres immediately. Tres never failed at an order, and Cain never flinched away from one, even if it was to kill an innocent person. They had been following Gyula's orders carefully so as to not raise suspicion. He paused in front of them, looking at them.

Gyula was a tall Vampire. He had shoulder length dark brown hair, and brown eyes. He was handsome, and made no attempt to hide his fangs. And he was all the more dangerous because of this. Cain noticed Tres barely stiffen, a move that he and Abel could only notice since they had been with the robot for seven hundred years. Gyula didn't see it. He knew it was because Tres didn't like him, because he too an instant disliking to this man. However, Tres was not one to disobey orders.

"I take it you heard then?" Gyula asked.

"Positive." Tres replied. "A new Father has arrived to fill the vacancy there in Saint Methias."

"Yes." Gyula said. "That woman didn't follow the words set by me for her church, so I had you take care of her." he glanced at Cain. "You did very well. And the girl didn't see you?"

"No." Cain replied. "I was gone before she came in. But she suspects you my Lord."

"We'll just have to pay the two of them a visit won't we?" Gyula asked. "Tres. I need you to go there for me. Say hello. Just don't kill anyone yet alright?"

"Positive." Tres replied.

* * *

Esther paused. She had been going through the church as usual, cleaning and doing the chores. She was the last Sister of this church. The others had all quit. But she had heard something. Abel was sitting in a pew in the sanctuary and noticed her look. They both looked towards the door. Tres quickly strode into the room, thrusting open the door. Abel stood and Esther ran to him.

"F-Father!" she cried. "He's one of Gyula's men! Be careful!"

"It's alright Esther." Abel said gently. Then he looked up at Tres. "He suspects something doesn't he?"

"Positive." Tres replied. "You must be careful."

"I thought so." Abel sighed. "He's too smart to be so careless. He barely let you and Cain inside. I wonder if he's noticed me yet or just knows I'm here."

"Unable to verify." Tres replied.

"Father?" Esther asked, looking at Abel. "What's going on? Are you telling me you know him?"

"Positive." Tres replied. "We are in the same line of work."

"Tres and Cain infiltrated Gyula's army." Abel explained. "Don't worry. He's on our side. Still, we need to try and make sure he never sees Cain and me together. That would be a dead give away."

"Positive." Tres said. "Twins are easily spotted."

"Twins?" Esther asked. "What's going on? Who are you Father?"

"I'm someone who's here to protect the lives of people." Abel replied with a smile. "Don't worry. Everything I've said is true. But as to who I work for and why, well I can't tell you yet."

"You've been hiding things from me?" Esther asked, taking a step away. There were tears in her eyes. "How do I know that I can trust anything you've said? How can I know you're not lying to me?"

She turned and ran away, tears streaming from her eyes. Abel watched her go sadly for a moment. But whatever she thought of him was irrelevant. He was here to complete his mission. He would like to help her. He would like to show her that there was more to life than wanting revenge, but he couldn't do that now. She was gone. He understood. It was hard to accept people who hid the truth from them. He turned and looked at Tres.

"Tres." he said. "No matter what happens, you and Cain cannot break your cover. You know as well as I do that there's no way I'd die so easily. So stay where you are. Even if I got hurt. Got it?" Tres paused a moment, emotions flickering across his face. There was surprise, sadness, protectiveness and anger all at the same time. "Tres. This is an order. You can't disobey me now, not after everything we've gone through. Promise me that." There was a pause.

"Positive." Tres said. "Since it is an order I must do as you ask. Please, be careful though."

Tres turned and walked away, leaving before either of them said anything to damage their relationship. Abel sighed and sank back down into the pew. He didn't talk to anyone but the twins like that. To everyone else he was nothing more than an android. But when he thought no one was looking he showed emotions. He had developed emotions now. And he was strongly protective of the two twins. Abel sometimes wondered what his life would have been without the robot or his brother to constantly protect him. Cain could fight. He could protect himself. But Abel? He didn't like to fight. He was such a gentle person really that fighting was out of the question. Suddenly, Abel found himself thinking of the time they had met Tres...

* * *

"_Abel be careful." Cain begged his brother, tugging his arm. He was still clutching Abel's arm, trying to keep him close to his side._

"_Cain let go." Abel protested. "I'm fine. I'm not going anywhere okay? I'm right here." _

_But Cain didn't let go. Several years down the road he would, but now he was too protective of Abel. He didn't want to let him get out of his sight. If he did, then what would happen? He couldn't stand the thought of ever losing Abel again. Abel was annoyed with it, but he didn't really try and get his brother to leave him alone. He understood that Cain had been hurt badly when he had lost him. He had been hurt deeply. And he was scared that if he let go then Abel really would be gone. Abel just didn't have it in his heart to try and make Cain leave him alone._

"_Cain..." Abel said. "Let's go. The world's changed so much in the two hundred years we were gone. I don't know where Tristan is, or most of the Order of Rosenkreuz. But we have to do something with our lives. Look, I know we don't know where any of the other Crusnik are, or even if they're still alive, but we have to go on."_

"_I know Abel." Cain said quietly. "I just don't want you to get hurt."_

"_Cain, you're going to have to let go someday." Abel said. "Sooner or later, someone else will find a way to touch your heart. Will you cling to them too?"_

"_No." Cain sighed. "You're the only one that I can't lose."_

"_You say that now." Abel sighed. "But one day you'll find someone else who'll be dear to you. This world is full of people that die so quickly. There's no avoiding it..."_

_Cain paused, looking up at Abel. Abel could tell that there was disbelief in his eyes, but he pretended he didn't see it. He looked somewhere else. It was a good thing that he had. He saw the glint of metal as it flickered in the light. He suddenly pulled away from Cain's grip, stepping to the side. Cain looked at him surprised. But then a bullet hit the ground only a few inches away from him. The shooter had attempted to adjust his shot as he saw Abel move but had missed still. _

_Cain and Abel both looked up as they saw the android step from the shadows. It was a killing doll, long ago created to kill rouge Crusnik. He was tall and had a gun in each hand. His movements were very robotic, as all models they had met up to that point were. He had short black hair that was combed to fit in with a militaristic uniform. His eyes were a dull gray color and held no emotion. Still, they knew not to underestimate the creature even tough he seemed slow. He was programmed to kill them. He wore the black and white uniform of the Rosenkreuz Order. He took a step towards them._

"_Friend or foe." He said in a metallic voice. "Answer now." _

_Neither twin answered. They slowly backed away, and Cain inched closer to Abel. The android fired a warning shot at the ground. They both stopped._

"_Silence is not an acceptable response." the android said. "Speak." again there was silence. "Checking database on known Crusnik..."_

_Cain suddenly gasped and pushed Abel away from the robot. He snarled and changed into his Crusnik form. Instantly, recognition seemed to pass the android's face and he turned to attack the Crusnik._

"_Run Abel!" Cain snarled. _

"_Confirmed life signs from Abel and Cain Nightroad." the unit said. "Extermination will commence."_

_Abel paused a moment, wondering what he should do. But another one appeared to provide back up for the first. Suddenly he remembered...when he had first become a Crusnik, one of the newly born Crusnik had been anxious. She had stood up and began to pace, and then when the Professor tried to calm her, she had accidentally hit him, not knowing her own strength. One of the killing dolls had killed her on the spot. They managed to fix that glitch in them, but the terror of seeing the girl murdered remained...he turned and ran away. He couldn't get that image out of his head._

_The android followed closely behind, firing at him. Abel managed to dodge the bullets. He wasn't really sure how he had managed it. He was just so scared that he had kept on running. He worried about Cain suddenly. Would he be okay fighting that thing? It was their job to kill them. He didn't know anymore. He just knew that he had to escape. He had to hide. He had to do something. He dashed around a brick wall the ruined house, turning the corner._

_He felt the breath leave his lungs. It felt as if he had just hit a pole. It wasn't hard, and it only stung a little, but it startled him a lot. He realized suddenly that it was an arm. And it belonged to a man. He pulled him up against his side, and suddenly Abel was facing the android, looking at him. His back was against the man's chest. He had a gun in his other hand. Abel looked up at him. He was tall, with messy brown hair and deep brown eyes. He was watching the android carefully, though no emotion passed his face at this point. Abel felt his breath catch in his throat. It was another killing doll, but unlike any he had ever seen. Every other one looked like the first, robotic, like they belonged in the military. But this one was different. His movements were smooth, almost organic. It felt as if he was touching skin, not metal, though he knew that he had wire and metal underneath. In fact, he looked as if he was nothing more than a human that he had run into. Except for the fact that Abel couldn't have pulled away if he had tried._

_He was scared again. He had just run into another one. There was no way he could survive this. It was impossible. He was surrounded by enemies on either side. However, the android holding him glanced at him, and Abel could swear he suddenly saw his eyes soften. Then he looked back up at the other android, and his eyes grew a little more steely. Abel looked too. The black haired android seemed just as confused as he was. He too could tell that this was a killing doll like himself, but other than that he seemed nothing like him. The black haired android paused a moment, lowering his gun slightly._

"_Friend or foe." he said. "Speak now. What is your unit name and identification number?"_

"_I am Tres." the brown haired android said. "My unit name is Iquis and my identification number is R39874521IO789."_

"_Negative." the other android replied. "There is no record of Iquis."_

"_I am not a unit you would recognize." Tres replied. "As for friend or foe, that would depend on your current mission."_

"_My mission?" the other android asked, confused. "I have no mission. I work for Rosenkreuz. But that Crusnik is subject to termination." Abel silently tried to pull away, but Tres didn't let him go._

"_Negative." Tres replied. "I cannot allow that."_

"_What?" the other unit asked. Abel looked up at Tres again. His eyes were narrowing dangerously._

"_I cannot allow that." Tres repeated. "If you want to live, leave now." Now Abel was just as surprised as the other unit. Killing dolls were made to destroy Crusnik. What was this one saying?_

"_Meaning does not compute." the other android said, perplexed. "Please explain."_

"_You cannot defeat me." Tres said. "You are a lesser unit. You are not programmed like me. You do not learn like I do. You cannot defeat me because you have never been upgraded to my level. I was created at a level higher than our creator ever dreamed of, all because of the Order of Rosenkreuz. I will say it again. Leave now or die."_

"_Meaning does not compute." the other repeated. "Please explain. What orders were you programmed with? Mine are to destroy rouge Crusnik. This one is subject to termination. Step aside."_

"_Negative." Tres said. "I will not move. This Crusnik is coming with me. Unlike other killing dolls before us who only murdered, the Iquis units were given new orders. Those were to fight against Rosenkreuz and protect the Crusnik. And my orders were very specific: Protect Cain and Abel Nightroad. I failed at that before, but I will execute that order now."_

_Suddenly there was silence. No one moved. Abel could hear the far off cries of the battle between Cain and the other android, but it meant nothing to him. The sheer weight of what Tres had just said dwarfed all else. Abel realized that the creator of the killing dolls had seen what was going on, and created androids that far outpaced the rest to protect them. But the fact that he had created one with the specific purpose to protect him and his twin was staggering. He realized too that this meant that Tres was better equipped with a learning mode and just about everything else than all the others before him. To make sure that he could protect them. The other android paused a moment, watching Tres' face. But the android showed no sign that what he had said was false. Tres continued to watch the other android carefully. Abel felt his arm tighten against him very slightly as he prepared. Abel felt suddenly nervous now. How was he going to be able to survive this battle? Tres wasn't letting go, and with this being a battle between two androids, Abel knew he still had little chance. However, Tres seemed to be thinking the same thing. Abel felt him tense just a little._

_The other android raised his gun to fire. Tres instantly mirrored him, raising his gun. There was a few moments of breathless silence. Abel closed his eyes, not wanting to watch. Two gunshots reverberated through the air. Then there was silence again. He paused, but Tres seemed unhindered in anyway. He opened his eyes and looked. Nothing seemed to have changed._

"_.0432 seconds too slow." Tres said. _

_The other android suddenly dropped his gun and fell forward onto his stomach. Tres released Abel, walking over to the other unit. Abel stood there, unsure of what else to do. He suddenly sat down, completely surprised. There was nothing else he could do. Tres walked over to the other unit, looking down at him. Abel couldn't see it, but suddenly loathing passed over Tres' face as he looked down at the other unit and pointed his gun at his head._

"_You earlier units are nothing but murderers." Tres said. "I pity you. Because our creator thought to add a perspective of right or wrong, justice or injustice, into our systems, along with the capability for emotions to appear. We may still be ruled by emotions, for we are still a form of artificial life based off of humanity, but at least we had the choice to stand for what was right or not. Thus, I end your suffering."_

_One more gunshot echoed through the still air that day. Tres watched the other unit carefully for a moment, but he had efficiently killed it and now it would never move again. He turned back and looked at Abel, sliding his gun back into its holster. Again, Abel thought he saw his eyes soften. He froze, unsure of what to do. But he didn't think he had to run away. This android was still a stranger to him. But he had also just saved his life. Tres walked slowly and carefully over to Abel. Then he reached down and offered his hand to him. The boy paused and looked at it._

"_I will say it again." Tres said. "I am Tres Iquis. I was ordered to protect Crusnik. My brothers have all followed with their orders and are protecting one or two Crusnik each. Please input your damage report and name."_

"_U-uh..." Abel said. "I'm fine. And I'm Abel...Abel Nightroad."_

"_Impossible." Tres said, his eyes widening a little in surprise. "Data on Crusnik states that only Crusnik bonded up to 100% can survive having all of the Nanomachines in their blood stolen. But Data on Abel Nightroad matches you perfectly. Please explain how this is possible."_

_Abel paused a moment. He didn't want to trust this machine, and yet at the same time, he felt like he could trust him with anything. Abel glanced down at his hand, then very hesitantly took it. Tres smiled at the Crusnik suddenly. Abel began to tell him everything he knew about what had happened, and once he was done Tres watched him thoughtfully._

"_Recorded in the memory bank." Tres said. "Voice recognition of Abel Nightroad recorded. Administrator rank added to name. I will now take orders from you Abel." He pulled the young Crusnik to his feet. His grip was soft and gentle but felt as if it was made of iron._

"_A-Abel?" he heard. It was Cain. He was back in his human form now. He was hurt a little bit, and watching Tres nervously. "Come here Abel."_

"_It's okay Cain." Abel promised. "He's not going to hurt us. He saved my life." At those words, Cain looked at Tres much closer, and his opinion heightened of him a little. He always believed Abel without question._

"_Who are you then?" Cain asked._

"_I am Tres Iquis." Tres replied. "I was given the order to protect you two. Voice recognition of Cain Nightroad recorded. Administrator rank added to name. I will take orders from you as well. If you will let me, I will look at your wounds."_

_Tres released Abel's arm and walked over to the young Crusnik. Cain watched him nervously, but Abel smiled at him reassuringly, so he let him approach. Tres gently checked all of the wounds that Cain had received, passing not even the tiniest of bruises by. Then Tres released Cain again._

"_No life threatening injuries sustained." Tres announced. "Still, medical attention will be required when we are able to access the appropriate necessities."_

"_We?" Cain asked. "You talk like you're going to be coming with us."_

"_Positive." Tres replied. "Now that I have found you I will not be leaving you. Those were the orders that I was given, and I will not go back on them. I will be your guard. That was my sole purpose for being created." Cain turned and walked back to Abel, leaning in close to whisper to him. Tres watched them carefully._

"_I don't like him." Cain said. "We don't know anything about him."_

"_I think we can trust him." Abel replied. "Besides, he saved my life. He could have killed me back then. He had a hold of me. And you know what happens with normal killing dolls and Crusnik after that happens as well as I do. These Iquis units are something different, something special. Besides, it's not like we'll be going anywhere that he won't follow. If you can't trust him, then trust me. When have I ever lied to you?"_

"_Never." Cain sighed. "Alright. He can come with us. But only because you like him okay?" he turned and looked at Tres. "Alright let's go. It's getting dark, and we'll need to go to sleep at some point even if you don't."_

"_Positive." Tres replied. "You can rest assured knowing that I will not let anything harm you while you sleep."_

_Cain frowned, but Abel squeezed his shoulder and smiled reassuringly. He then turned and walked towards Tres, who watched them both with his unblinking eyes. Cain frowned deeper, but followed Abel dutifully. He didn't think then that he'd ever come to trust Tres. But they all knew differently now._

* * *

Abel couldn't help but smile a little at the memory. It seemed like ages ago, but at the same time it felt as it had only happened the day before. He and Cain had grown now. They were immortal. They would probably never look any older. And Tres too would never die. He was such an advanced form of artificial life that he didn't need maintenance except for a few times every century or so. Most of the time, he could fix himself, or Cain and Abel could. In fact at one point he had been so broken that he had stopped working all together and they had fixed him from what they knew about that technology (which was a lot considering they had to study it as young Crusnik). There were a few others that Tres would allow to fix him. So all in all, the three of them were best friends as long as they had on this earth, and that could be a long time indeed.

He paused then however. Something didn't seem right suddenly. He stood up quickly and look around. It had been quite a long time. He had spent more time than he had realized when he was lost in his thoughts. He slowly began to walk forward, following his instincts to where he had the worst feeling. Generally, he knew that this wasn't a good idea. But something else made him want to check it out: the knowledge that Esther was here and could be in trouble. He reached a room and paused at the door, his eyes widening slightly as he watched, hidden from view.

There was Esther. She was with a young man. She had frozen and was staring at him, disbelief on her face. The young man was tall and thin. He had brown hair that hung down to his chin and blue eyes. They seemed gentle and kind, but Abel could spot something else in them: deceit. He smiled at her gently. Both of them had guns in their hands, but neither was pointed at the other. Esther took a single step forward.

"What are you saying?" Esther asked. "Dietrich? Y-you can't be serious!"

"Ah, sorry Esther, but I am." Dietrich said with a smile. "You see, I only used you. Yes, Gyula may have murdered the woman you thought to be your mother, but who gave him that idea? Me. And you, I used you to get rid of some of Gyula's top men. They were in the way of my orders. I only needed you to get rid of them. However, I do like you. It's just so cute how you could justify your crimes like that. Still, now you're going to be a problem. So I'll just have to silence you."

"Orders? What orders?" Esther cried.

"I'm sorry dear but I can't tell you that." Dietrich replied. "But I will tell you that I work for Rosenkreuz."

"The Order of Rosenkreuz?" Esther gasped. "The Order that caused Armageddon and destroyed the Crusnik?" Abel stiffened.

"Yes. Them." Dietrich replied with a laugh. "We've been remade. Grand isn't it? But you won't be around much longer. Even if I don't' kill you here, this whole town will disappear. That's just what's going to happen. But while I'm here, I'll need to take out that little priest of yours. What's his name? Nightlord?"

"You leave him out of this!" Esther suddenly cried with both a worry and vehemence that surprised Abel. But he could understand. Abel may have hidden things from her, but he hadn't betrayed her. "Father Nightlord has nothing to do with this!"

"I think you'll find he does." Dietrich said. "You see, I know a Vatican dog when I see one. He isn't just a simple priest. He's a member of the AX Unit. They work on Foreign Affairs. The people in that Unit are all freaks. They all have powers, secrets. They all have pasts that were horrible. But they still believed in God. So they were taken in by the Vatican and formed the special core of the Vatican. He's nothing but a freak. I don't know what kind of freak he is, but either way, he's going to die. He's the only one who's a real problem for my orders."

"So then...the thing he was hiding..." Esther said quietly.

"That's right my dear." Dietrich said. "I heard you weren't very kind to him. I wonder what you said. Will you ever be able to make up for what you did? Will you have the time?"

"Stop!" Esther cried, suddenly there was fear in her voice. "Stop please! Don't kill him! Father is a good person! I'll do anything! Just don't kill him!"

"I can't do that." Dietrich said. "He must be destroyed. You've never put your faith in the right people. Now, the person you should have trusted is going to pay for it. You should have kept your friends closer Esther. But I suppose you did keep your enemies close. Too close."

But Abel had heard enough. If his cover was blown, even a little, to someone in the Order of Rosenkreuz, there was need for secrecy anymore. He drew his gun -which was large and carried silver bullets- and walked out into the open. There was silence in the room suddenly as he walked out into the room. He walked over to Esther's side and watched Dietrich carefully. He didn't look at Esther. He didn't have to. She was a little surprised to see that the kind, fatherly look had now left his eyes. They were now hard and steely, like someone who knew they were faced with a powerful enemy and was preparing to face him. Esther stepped forward and grabbed a fist full of his sleeve.

"Father please no!" she said. "Leave now! Run away! I couldn't stand it if you died! I don't want you to die because of me! I don't want anyone else to ever die because of me!"

"At least now," Abel said quietly with a small smile to her. "you understand how I feel. And you understand what I said earlier." Then he looked back up at Dietrich and his eyes grew steely again. "So, you are a member of the Order of Rosenkreuz. We knew you were moving, but we didn't expect you to form so quickly. I assume then, that you understand the situation we're in now."

"Father Nightlord." Dietrich replied. "So kind of you to join us. This saves me the trouble of having to find you."

"Spare the formalities and let's cut to the chase." Abel said.

"Alright." Dietrich said with a smile. "Yes. I work for Rosenkreuz. I am a powerful member. Just like you, I am a freak, but I wish to remake this world. I am called the Puppet Master. Perhaps I should show you why..."

Abel paused, confused, as suddenly Dietrich smiled and raised his right hand. However, then he heard Esther yelp behind him. He turned to look and noticed that she had raised her gun and had pointed it at him. He froze, completely surprised. He didn't want to hurt Esther, and he didn't want to have to fight Dietrich like this.

"F-Father..." She gasped, suddenly starting to cry. "Please run. Please run away now! I don't want you to get hurt! I don't want to kill you! Run Father!"

"Oh no you don't." Dietrich said. Suddenly, Abel felt his arms pinned to his sides. He couldn't move at all.

"What?" He gasped. But he couldn't move. Tears were now pouring down Esther's face as she pointed the gun at him.

"N-No!" Esther sobbed. "Stop! Dietrich stop this! Don't make me... NO!"

There was a gunshot in the still air. Then, silence. Esther stared, wide eyed and in horror, as she saw Abel fall. He hit the ground hard, a single bullet having pierced his heart. There was a heavy thud, and as soon as he hit the ground, his eyes were closed and blood began to soak the ground. Dietrich smiled, then had her point the gun at him again. She gasped as four more bullets ripped into his body. Then he released her. She fell to her knees, holding the gun silently. She was still. She was silent. She just sat there, tears sliding silently down her face.

"Goodbye Esther." Dietrich said as he passed. "Don't worry. You'll be joining him soon..."

She didn't respond, not even as she heard the far away front door of the church open and close. She continued to stare at Abel, tears sliding down her face. Suddenly, she felt a bitter anger at herself, guilt and sadness.

"Oh Father...I'm sorry..." She sobbed suddenly. "I couldn't stop myself...and now you're gone...I should have trusted you. I should have saved you! Now he's killed you...and I couldn't even do anything..." She collapsed onto his side and began to sob into his long silver hair. Suddenly, she was struck by how beautiful it was.

Abel felt pain again as his heart restarted. Oh, he could die if someone shot him, but it would take much more than that to actually kill him. He felt Esther against his side, sobbing. He felt his heart soften a bit as he listened to that.

"Easy Esther." he said. "I'm not dead yet. That whelp couldn't hope to kill me."

Esther froze, slowly looking down at Abel, her heart hammering in fear and confusion. She didn't want to believe it, and yet she knew it was true. He sat up suddenly, and she gasped, looking at him. He held his chest where he was bleeding the heaviest. He smiled at her. She noticed now that his glasses were broken, and the ribbon that held his hair in place fell out of his hair.

"B-but you..." Esther gasped.

"I'm not dead." Abel said with a smile. "I'm sorry. I did hide something from you. I'm not human. In fact, I'm a Crusnik."

There was silence suddenly. Esther stared at him, open mouthed. She didn't want to believe it. Crusnik didn't exist anymore. They had all been wiped out, hadn't they? Still, it was the only explanation that made any sense. Crusnik were powerful. They could survive severe wounds that would kill a normal person. And yet she had shot Abel and he got back up as if it was nothing.

"How?" She asked simply.

"Not even I know that Esther." Abel replied with a smile. "But everything I've said is true. I've heard enough here. Now I have to go and stop the Order of Rosenkreuz again. They've caused far too much damage in the world. I don't ask you to join me. I only hope that you'll stay safe."

"No let me come with you!" Esther cried. "Please! I want to help! Father..."

"You can if you want." Abel replied with a smile. "Just promise me you won't freak out if I have to show my Crusnik form. Alright?"

"I promise Father." Esther said with a small smile. Abel smiled back and stood. This was going to be a long night, even if everything went well.

**Here's the end.**

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I was going to try and resolve the issues with Gyula in the first chapter, but it turned out way too long as it is. Oh well, this will start the story moving. In the next chapter, Cain and Abel show their Crusnik forms. Dietrich doesn't recognize them, but he knows their Crusnik. Thus, the other Crusnik hear about it too. Things are going to get a little messy and confusing as both sides try and figure out if these two Crusnik are friend or foe, or who they could be. Should be fun.

**Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Chapter Two: Those Left Behind

**Author's Note:**

So here we go with the next chapter. We're going to resolve the first issue of the story line and throw yet another one into it. XD There's not much to say other than that, and that I'm glad if you enjoy the story so far. There's no flashbacks in this chapter, but there will be more later on.

**Here we go!**

Chapter Two: Those Left Behind

Abel paused a moment in the street. It was late out. No one was out past curfew. That would be certain death. But Abel and Esther had ceased caring a few hours ago. They had much more important business than trying to avoid Gyula. Abel was a little worried about Cain and Tres. Dietrich would surely tell Gyula that he had killed him, he was "working" for him after all. They would know that he wouldn't be dead. But they would still be angry that he had gotten hurt. He hoped that Tres followed his order and kept him and Cain both in line. He glanced behind himself at Esther. She had her gun at the ready and was carefully scanning the surrounding area. He smiled a little at her before turning away. She seemed so willing to help, and at the same time so gentle too. They were a lot alike actually.

"We're almost there." Abel said. "The time for secrecy has long passed. We'll have to go inside. There, my brother and my other partner will probably meet us."

"Then we'll have to deactivate the Star of Sorrow right?" Esther asked. "How are we going to do that?"

"I don't know." Abel sighed. "I suppose we'll find out once we get there..."

Abel then steeled himself and stepped out from his hiding place and ran forward. Esther followed him. Abel was a little startled by the lack of security here. Where were all the guards? The army? They turned and corner and pulled up. Esther let out a little gasp. There were the guards. They had all been shot, and not a single one was left. He looked up and spotted Cain standing there. He was covered in blood, but he smiled when he saw Abel.

"Cain, did you really have to kill them all?" Abel asked.

"Sorry." Cain said a little guiltily. "I kind of lost control for a moment. Tres is inside fighting the rest. We thought we'd remained undercover long enough."

"You and Tres always act with your heads too quickly." Abel sighed. "Where's Gyula?"

"He's locked himself inside with his remaining men." Cain replied. "Tres is probably taking care of him. We'll have to hurry before he starts the Star." The he noticed Esther. "Who's this?"

"This is Sister Esther Blanchett." Abel said. "She is the Sister of Saint Methias that we were told about. She's coming with us to help."

"Ah hello." Cain said, smiling but not approaching. He knew that he was covered in blood and would probably freak her out if she came any closer. Esther watched him for a moment.

"Then you're a Crusnik too?" She asked suddenly. Surprised, Cain looked at Abel.

"How much does she know?" Cain asked.

"Not much." Abel promised. "Just enough to know what she's gotten herself into."

"Alright then." Cain sighed. "I'll trust you with this one Abel."

"There's one more thing Cain." Abel said, his voice suddenly becoming steelier. "The member of the Order of Rosenkreuz. He's here. He's the one pulling the strings. Literally. His powers are like nothing I've ever seen. We'll have to be careful."

"Right." Cain said.

The Crusnik lifted his gun again, and with Abel and Esther following, he turned and began to walk back towards the building. Abel smiled reasurringly at Esther as he stepped forward into the door that Cain opened, and she smiled back, though with more worry on her face. Here she was, in the strangest scenario of her life. She was now with two Crusnik, creatures that the world had thought to have been completely wiped out, both of whom worked for the Vatican. She was about to come face to face with a Vampire that would probably like to kill her. There was a third agent somewhere in the building. She had seen Abel die and then get back up as if it was nothing. Even the wounds were disappearing now. Still, she knew she couldn't let herself get distracted, or there would be nothing left of her. She wondered for a moment what Bishop Laura would say to seeing her in this strange company, but she also realized that she thought of Abel like a father figure. He was so kind and caring. She didn't care if he was a Crusnik or a monster. She knew she had to be with him.

"Father..." She said quietly behind Abel as they continued down the halls, passing corpses. "Do you think that I...that I could come with you, after this is all over?" Surprised, Abel looked down at her but said nothing. "I don't have anywhere else to go, not with Bishop Laura gone out of the church. I just, want to go somewhere where I can be of use, and undo some of the wrong I've done..."

"Of course Esther." Abel replied with a smile. "Just be prepared to work hard. There's no time to waste in the AX Unit. We'll talk more about it later okay?"

"Right." Esther said, happier than she had been in a few days.

They continued onward, following the clear trail that Tres had laid out with his guns. Soon, they found themselves deep in the mansion, so far that they would have gotten lost and never found their way inside if they hadn't have had a clear path. Abel and Cain carefully scanned the remaining area. At last, they reached the end of the trail, at an elevator that led straight down below the floor. Abel and Cain stepped forward a little. There was no doubt that Tres was down there. They could still hear his guns firing. Cain nodded, and Abel and he both stepped into the elevator. Esther paused only a moment before following them. The gate creaked closed and the machine whirred to life. Slowly, they inched their way down into the other room below them. Tres turned and spotted them coming down, and instantly stood defensively in front of the gate of the elevator, protecting them as they came down. There was a temporary cease fire.

"Damage report?" Tres asked calmly. Abel knew thought that he wasn't calm. He was very angry.

"I'm fine." Abel replied. "Let's concentrate on the mission now."

"Positive." Tres replied, reloading the gun. He glanced at Esther. "Friend or foe?"

"Friend." Abel replied instantly. "She's been helping me. We can trust her."

"Positive." Tres replied as he turned his gun back towards the men with Gyula. "Termination of Hostile Elements now Highest Priority."

"Agreed." Cain growled.

"Easy." Abel told them both. "Let's not get carried away here."

Esther nervously watched their foes from around Abel's shoulder. She wasn't sure that she wanted to be in the middle of this, but here she was, so here she was going to stay. She glanced up at Abel. He didn't seem phased at all by the fact that there were about fifty battle trained men pointing guns at him. But she supposed that he had been battle trained too. He had been created to protect humans, and he did that well. She sighed. She could never stand up and be one his level. But she wanted to try and help him none the less. He had helped her. Now he wanted to help him in return. It was a hard thing to do, especially considering she had little experience fighting. But she knew that she had to do something. Tres watched her a moment but then looked back towards their foes. He seemed to be thinking the same thing, but he was silent. He trusted Abel's judgment.

Esther loaded her own gun, preparing herself nervously. She wasn't sure what she would come across now, but she was sure that her life would never be the same, not after meeting Father Abel. The four of them watched them carefully. Sudenly, from the group, stepped Gyula. He watched them all very closely and sneered. Both Crusnik suddenly had their eyes on him, and he had no idea the danger he was in.

"I should have guessed that the two of you were Vatican dogs as well, Cain, Tres." Gyula said, looking over all of them carefully. "But I am a little surprised to see the third dog here as well. I heard that he had died. Apparently my assassin wasn't as capable as I thought he was. So. Here we are. I suppose you want to stop me? Well I can't have that. The star is the last thing I have..."

"Of what?" Cain growled, bristling. However, Abel held his arm out in front of him. Cain looked down at it, then at his brother in surprise. "Abel..."

"Tell me." Abel said to Gyula. "Why is it that you're doing this? Don't you understand that you can achieve nothing by doing this?"

"No one gets revenge for anything but revenge itself." Gyula snarled.

"Ah." Abel said sadly. "So that's what this is about. Would you tell me why then? Why do you want your revenge?" Gyula paused, looking at Abel for a moment. No one else moved. But Cain knew that Abel just had that kind of gaze, one that could someone to tell him anything.

"My wife." Gyula said. "She loved the people of Istanbul. She would go down to give the people medicine and care for them. She wanted to use the star to power the city, as it was before."

"Yes." Abel said, his eyes suddenly lost in the past somewhere. "The Star of Istanbul. It was a satellite that was put up by the people of Istanbul before Armageddon. It was one of the few that was left in working order. It had been abandoned for all this time."

"Indeed." Gyula said, slightly surprised that Abel knew this. "My wife wanted to use it to power the city. So when we turned it on and used it's power, the Vatican grew suspicious of us. They sent in members of the Inquisition to put a stop to it. They incited the people to turn on my wife. She disappeared one night while she went down to help them. That is why I hate the church, and the lowly people that populate this city. I will have my revenge."

"So." Abel concluded his story for him. "You plan to override the satellite's system control. You've changed it's target lock on system too, so that it can use it's powers as a weapon instead of a blessing. That would take someone with knowledge of how this thing worked beyond the times of Armageddon. Is that your plan?"

"You're awfully well informed for a Vatican dog." Gyula snarled. "You must be a member of the AX unit, in charge of keeping peace between humans and vampires. In that case, it makes me wonder just what kind of powers you have. Shall we test it then."

"Try it, you die." Cain hissed suddenly. Gyula looked up at him. He paused, looking back at Abel.

"You're twins!" He cried. "How did I not notice this before? Just what is it that you want here?"

"To put a stop to your schemes." Cain snarled. "Why else would we be here?"

"I can't let you stop me!" Gyula snarled. "I will not step aside!"

The soldiers behind him, as if waking from a dream suddenly raised their guns and pointed them at the intruders. Esther shuddered a little behind Abel, grabbing a hold of his sleeve. He ignored her, but she didn't care. She felt like he had a different presence. It was monstrous, and yet calming at the same time. She felt like he would protect her. She was still scared of course, but not as much. Cain and Tres weren't the same. Both had their own stigmas in a way. Cain was powerful, and she felt like she could trust him, but he was a little more active than Abel. Tres too, she felt she could trust. But he seemed quiet, careful, calculating. Neither of them seemed at all phased by the fact that they were now faced with guns. Instead, Tres stepped forward, raising his own guns and watching them.

"Switching from Strategical Planning Mode to Battle Mode. Genocide Mode Selected. Casualty Limit: 50%. Battle will now commence."

Esther disappeared behind Abel as the battle began. She didn't dare look. She was too scared to present herself as a target to the many bullets flying everywhere. However, Cain and Abel remained where they were, unmoving. They trusted Tres, and they knew that he would never let the battle to come anywhere near either one of them. Soon, the battle was over. Gyula was staring at the withered bloody bodies of his injured or dead men. He was speechless. But Tres lowered his smoking guns.

"Area clear." he said. "Now switching to Guarding Mode."

He moved back beside Esther and stood there, staring straight ahead. She glanced at him, but he refused to speak or move now. Abel and Cain now had their eyes on Gyula once again. Neither of them moved or said anything. There was silence suddenly. Gyula looked up at them, rage now etched into his face.

"I will make you pay for that." the vampire snarled.

"Oh please do." Cain snarled.

"The Star is now too late to stop. It's already in motion." Gyula said. "It's going to burn the entire human world a city at a time. Then you'll all pay!"

However then, there was a huge explosion. They all turned and looked at the screen, where the Star was locking on and beginning to fire. Part of the city was now in flames. Gyula ran over to them computer, checking it. However, the machine was now firing on coordinates that were not inputted in the system. Gyula quickly tried to stop it, but it wouldn't.

"What?" he cried. "This is impossible! This shouldn't be happening!"

"Actually, it's doing exactly what it should." came a voice.

Esther immediately froze, and Abel looked up too, a snarl passing his face. Tres and Cain instantly looked at Abel. They could tell from his reaction that this young man was the one that they had been warned about, and the one that had tried to kill him. Cain turned to look at him. Dietrich had walked into the room, smiling at all of them. Cain bristled instantly.

"Ah Esther. There you are." Dietrich said. "And Father Nightlord. Still alive I see. Strange, I forced Esther to shoot you about five times."

"What's going on?" Gyula snarled. "What did you do?"

"I programmed the Star to destroy major cities in the Empire and the human world. Then, war will start. One that waged many years ago and let my predecessors control the world." Dietrich replied. "I am a member of the Order of Rosenkreuz."

"What?" Gyula gasped. "Impossible!"

"I'm afraid it's not." Dietrich said. "We've returned. And that Satellite above our heads is about to destroy everything. Even this town."

"And you'd stay here, letting yourself be destroyed?" Gyula asked.

"Of course." Dietrich replied with a smile. "It's all a part of the plan. I will stay because I was ordered to."

"You're sick...Dietrich..." Esther snarled.

"Cain, Esther, Tres." Abel said. "Take care of the star. Get rid of it, whatever it takes. I'll give you the time you need. I will fight Dietrich myself."

Cain and Tres looked at Abel, both extremely surprised. Abel never fought. It just wasn't in his nature. But now there was rage in his eyes. He glared at Dietrich, and even he seemed a little surprised. However, he smiled at him and tilted his head. Abel tossed Tres his broken glasses, and Esther took a step back from him.

"Finally going to show me what kind of freak you are, are you?" Dietrich asked.

"Nanomachine..." Abel said, quietly enough that only Esther could hear him. "Crusnik 02 Power Output at 80% Activate." Esther froze when she heard that he was the Crusnik 02. He was supposed to be dead...

Instantly Abel changed forms, taking on a different appearance. His skin turned a deathly pale gray color. It was impossible to tell that he had once looked human. Two fangs pressed out of his mouth, now becoming long and prominent on his face. All of his eyes now glowed blood red and held malice. His finger nails grew long and dark black. His lips became black. Two enormous black wings sprouted out of his back, and an instant later he summoned his scythe, which floated between his finger tips even though he couldn't actually grab it because of his claws. His hair stood straight up above his head. Esther stared at him for a moment, completely surprised. But then again, she wasn't. She knew he was a Crusnik. And now she was beginning to see his power. Dietrich and Gyula however were even more surprised.

"Of course!" Dietrich gasped. "Why didn't I see it before?"

"You're a..." Gyula said quietly.

"A Crusnik. Yes." Abel replied. His voice was not his own anymore. His regular voice could be heard under it, but now a demonic one accompanied it, overpowering his own. It was a terrible growling sound. Suddenly, they all understood why Crusnik were once so feared.

"But the Crusnik were either all killed or pushed into hiding..." Dietrich said. "What would make a creature like yourself join the Vatican?"

Abel snarled and raised his wings above his head. Instantly, lightning began to spark between them, lighting the room around him blue and throwing odd shadows across all of the walls. He then launched forward at Dietrich. The startled man suddenly stumbled back, then turned and retreated farther into the underground passages. Abel followed. Esther suddenly turned and ran on past Gyula to the machine. She began to look it over quickly. Tres followed her, eying Gyula. Gyula snarled and turned to face them, only to find himself face to face with Cain.

"I won't let you destroy the star. It's the only thing that I have remaining of my wife." he snarled.

"If we don't destroy it, we'll die." Esther cried. "Don't you care?"

"Move away from that!" Gyula snarled.

"I have to stop you." Cain said. "I won't let you destroy so many innocent lives because you want revenge. I was once the same way. But unlike you, I had someone else with me who could turn me from that path. If you don't stand down, I'll be forced to fight you."

"Move!" Gyula snarled, grabbing a hold of Cain's arm to toss him away. Cain didn't move at all. Gyula looked at him in horror as recognition passed his face.

"You really thought that with my twin brother being Crusnik, that I would be human?" Cain asked.

"That's impossible!" Gyula cried. "Y-you can't be!"

"Nanomachine..." Cain said quietly. "Crusnik 01 Power Output at 100% Activate." Gyula froze at those words. Esther couldn't help but turn and look.

Cain's skin remained the same color, only it became lighter. His hair wasn't as long as Abel's, but it still stood up a little. His lips became a deep red color. Fangs sprouted from his mouth, and his claws grew long and deep red. His eyes didn't completely glow red like Abel's. Only the pupil glowed red, but he seemed all the more dangerous because of it. He snarled, his voice now sounding much like Abel's had. He summoned his weapon, a long black lance. Out of his back, six white wings sprouted. He pointed his lance at Gyula's chest. Gyula stared at him, quaking silently for a few moments.

"This is your last warning." Cain snarled. "Give up now, or I will kill you."

"Never." Gyula suddenly snarled.

Cain didn't give him a chance to do anything else. An instant later, red lightning sparked from his lance and struck Gyula's chest. The vampire stood there a moment, staring at them. Then he toppled backwards onto the ground and moved no more. He turned to look at Esther, who paused. But she didn't seem afraid of him. Not really. Tres blinked only slightly in surprise that he had changed so suddenly.

"Can we stop it?" Cain asked.

"I think so." Esther replied, turning back to look at the machine. "It looks like it could just be inputted with the right code and it would self destruct. But getting it to that point...would require a master hacker."

"Positive." Tres suddenly said, reaching behind his head to his neck. He took a cord back from it and plugged it into the computer. Instantly, the computer screen began to display numbers in a complicated code and Tres watched them all. "I will hack the satellite and make it self destruct. However, it will take some time."

"Fine. We'll give you what we can." Cain said. "Just get that thing to stop before more innocent people die."

"Positive." Tres replied. "And Cain. Do not worry about Abel. He will return shortly. My sensors can pick him up still. He is in no danger."

"Right..." Cain said, his voice still sounding like a snarl.

Esther looked back at Tres as he worked, suddenly wishing that there was some way that she could help. She felt like nothing but a burden. Still, she was determined to continue onward. She wasn't sure where she would end up, but she knew that she had to do something. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. She paused as she felt Cain's hand lay gently on her shoulder. She looked up at him. He wouldn't look at her, but she smiled at him anyway, and she thought she saw him smile a little in return.

Abel came back in. He looked a little ruffled, but other than that he seemed fine. He and Cain growled a little to each other as they came close. They didn't embrace, not like this, but Esther saw Cain's eyes soften and Abel blinked slowly and trustingly at him. They were really close, and Esther had heard before that Crusnik could communicate in their Crusnik forms without words. However, Abel's face fell again and he looked down.

"He escaped." he said. "That means that the Rosenkreuz Order will now know what we are and where we are, if not who. And several humans saw me. I don't doubt that the information that the Vatican has two Crusnik under it's roof will be out soon. Dietrich wasn't quiet about that at all."

"That will make traveling difficult." Cain said thoughtfully. "It may take us quite some time to return home. Caterina will be worried, not to mention the fact that she'd have to explain to everyone in the Vatican that she's been keeping secrets. You know Francisco as well as I. She'll probably have to explain everything to them. Our cover's blown."

"That may make it easier to find the other Crusnik." Abel said, sighing. "But I'm sure I wanted them to find out this way. Oh well. It doesn't seem like we have much of a choice now, do we? We'll have to make do. Esther, if you still wish to come with us, you must be prepared."

"I understand." Esther replied.

"Mission Complete." Tres suddenly said, removing his cord again from the machine. "The Star of Sorrow will now self destruct." He turned to look at Cain and Abel. "We must return now. It's unsafe for us to be out here."

"I agree." Cain said.

"Yes I know. Let's go now before anything else happens." Abel sighed.

The two twins returned to their human forms and then turned to leave. There was no time to debate now. Their lives were in danger once again. They couldn't let themselves get cornered by the Order of Rosenkreuz. At least in the Vatican, there would be some protection for them there. They didn't have any idea how long it would take them to return in secret, but they knew that they had to take that choice if they were going to escape. They just hoped that everyone would remain calm while they were away. The information would not be easy to digest, but they knew their friends among the agents would be worried. Silently, they slipped out into the night, with Esther and Tres close behind.

**Here's the end.**

There's not a lot going on in this chapter. It was much shorter too. But I wanted to keep this one shorter so that I might have time to add in more back story in the next chapter and to keep things rolling a bit. I hope you enjoyed and will continue to read. It's a lot of fun to make and I feel like there's a lot that could be done here. In the next chapter, we'll meet a few unexpected characters, as well as make things a little awkward for the Vatican. X3

Sounds like fun right?

**Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!**


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